• The measures were ordered by Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova to prevent the risk of flooding and ensure public safety.

By order of Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova, an operational team led by Deputy  Minister of Environment and Water Atanas Kostadinov has begun inspections of water levels at a number of the 52 major and complex dams and the flow capacity of riverbeds in connection with forecasts of upcoming heavy rainfall, with a view to mitigating the risk of flooding.

Experts from the Ministry of Environment and Water, the river basin directorates, the regional administrations, and the regional directorates for “Fire Safety and Civil Protection” are participating in the inspections. Starting today, inspections of potentially high-risk areas have begun, focusing on the condition and flow capacity of riverbeds, as well as the operation and available storage capacity of the country’s major and complex dams.

As part of the preventive measures taken, a working meeting was held today at the “Alexander Stamboliyski” Dam with representatives of the Veliko Tarnovo Regional Administration, the Regional Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, the Basin Directorate, the Ministry of Environment and Water, and the National Electricity Company (NEC) EAD, followed by an inspection of the facility.

Currently, the “Alexander Stamboliyski” Dam is 98.95% full of its total capacity. According to data from the operating company, the recorded inflow today is 14.817 cubic meters per second, while the outflow is twice as high at 25.287 cubic meters per second.

NEC EAD has taken the necessary measures to release water in a controlled manner in order to ensure additional free volume and maintain the necessary capacity to accommodate the expected water volumes. These actions are aimed at preventing any risk to the population, infrastructure, and surrounding areas.

The flow capacity of the riverbed has also been ensured in a 500-meter section downstream of the dam wall, which is essential for the safe discharge of water during periods of increased runoff.

Experts from the Veliko Tarnovo Regional Administration, the Regional Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, the River Basin Directorate, the Ministry of Environment and Water, and NEC EAD are maintaining constant coordination and monitoring of the situation. The necessary arrangements have been made to ensure a timely response to changes in hydrometeorological conditions, and additional measures will be taken as needed to mitigate the risk of flooding.